Sometimes I forget I have an oven and how easy it is to roast veggies. If you’re ever stumped as to what to do with your veggies, and you’re feeling lazy (as I usually am), all you need is some olive oil, herbs, garlic, and salt and pepper, and you have a super tasty, easy, and healthy meal. I liked the combination of sage, oregano, rosemary, and scallions, but you can mix and match whatever other herbs you want. Thyme and parsley would be good also. I threw some Daiya cheese on top to add some creaminess. The result: deliciousness, with minimal ingredients.

Veggies (use more or less, depending on what you like)

2 small red potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch wedges

2 small carrots, peeled and cut into bite size pieces

2 cups broccoli florets

2 cups cauliflower florets

Seasoning

2 tbsp olive oil

2 cloves crushed garlic

1/4 cup finely chopped scallions

1 tsp fresh chopped sage

1 tsp fresh chopped oregano

1 tsp fresh chopped rosemary

juice of 1/2 lemon

salt and pepper to taste

sprinkle of Daiya mozzarella (optional)

Preheat oven to 450°. Toss the veggies with the seasoning, making sure to coat them all, and place in a roasting dish. Bake for 20 minutes, then add Daiya mozzarella cheese. Bake an additional 5 minutes, until potatoes are tender.

My first attempt at making my own veggie patty! I rarely ever buy vegan burgers because I just can’t find one that isn’t crazy expensive, full of sodium, and that I like enough to spend $6 a box on! These are super hearty and filling so I recommend having them on a lettuce leaf or another type of green instead of bread.

Makes about 6 patties

1 1/2 cup cooked chickpeas (I pressure cook mine but canned is fine also, just don’t use as much salt)

1 leek, finely chopped

3 small carrots, shredded

5 small white potatoes, peeled and halved

1/4 cup chopped dill

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

1 clove of minced garlic

1 tsp lemon juice

olive oil

paprika, red pepper, and sea salt to taste

5-6 leaves of kale, chard, or any kind of lettuce you can wrap around the patty

Preheat your oven to 400°. Boil the potatoes for about 10 minutes until they’re just starting to get tender. While that’s cooking, start cooking the leeks in a pan with some olive oil over medium-low heat until they start to become translucent, but not browned. When your potatoes are done and have cooled a bit, shred them into a mixing bowl, and add all the remaining ingredients. Toss everything together and form the mixture into 1/2 inch thick patties. Cook them over medium heat in a non-stick skillet until they are browned on both sides. Finally, put the patties in the oven for about 10 minutes until they become crispier and more firm. Wrap some greens around them and enjoy!

I had no idea what to cook tonight so I just took all the vegetables I had in my fridge, laid them on the table, started chopping things, turned on some Sonic Youth, and this is what happened. Pretty good for winging it! And low fat, since I used spray oil. Next time though I’m gonna add less garam masala because it’s very aromatic and can easily overpower the dish. I ended up adding a little more nutritional yeast to even it out, so success.

3 small carrots, chopped

1 yellow onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, pressed

1 cup collard greens

1 1/2 cup white button mushrooms, sliced

2 small russet potatoes, peeled and cubed

1 16 ounce package of tempeh, cut into cubes

1/4 cup chopped basil

3 tsp ground cumin (I love cumin!)

1 tsp garam masala

1 tsp ground turmeric

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp siracha chili paste

2 tbst nutritional yeast

sea salt to taste

olive oil spray

Spray a pan with olive oil and fry up the tempeh until it’s golden brown on both sides, then set aside

Boil the potatoes for 10-15 minutes until they’re al dente, but don’t let them get too soft

While the potatoes are boiling, spray another pot with olive oil and add the carrots, sprinkle of salt, and 1/4 cup of water, letting them cook covered over low-medium heat until they’re soft, about 7 minutes.

Add the onions, cumin, garam masala, turmeric, paprika, and more salt and let cook another 5 minutes, (adding more water if necessary to keep it moist) until they turn translucent

Next, add the mushrooms, potatoes, tempeh, siracha, nutritional yeast, and another 1/2 cup of water and let cook on medium heat covered for another 10 minutes

Add the collards and basil at the end and simmer until the greens have cooked down

I served this over quinoa and garnished it with some leftover raw nut cheese I made a few days ago (thanks to Healthy Mama’s recipe) and some sprouted lentils.